MotoGP, Quartararo: "Michelin still valid, but the new medium front is dangerous"

Fabio Quartararo breathed a sigh of relief after coming in sixth at the end of the first day on the Mandalika track. Although a swallow doesn't makes a summer, a direct entry into the Q2 at least gave him hope that he could be on the right track towards a return to competitiveness.

"Even if the asphalt's grip wasn't bad, the deficiency that the M1 has affects our performance, and I noticed it clearly at turns four and fourteen, when I was behind Bastianini. We lack a lot of speed. Obviously, today, complaining is useless, given how it went. Should we confirm ourselves again next Friday in Japan, then we can say we've progressed."

Every time Yamaha takes to the track, it's as if it were engaged in a continuous cycle test. "This morning, on the first bike, I tried the frame used in Misano 1 again, since we had tested another one in the second weekend in Emilia Romagna. Then we switched to a new one and, between the two sessions, we went back to the standard one. A bit of confusion, but this is what we need to progress," he acknowledged, before focusing on the positive aspects.

"We improved in manageability. Now we need to find that extra power without losing agility. The priority is grip, then there's the engine, and then the electronics," he explained.

Finally, a thought on the tires that weren't particularly appreciated. "The front medium that was broughtl the D, is very dangerous, in my opinion. It has no grip and gives no warnings, so you're on the ground. It shouldn't be included among those assigned because, as we've seen from the accidents, it's easy to reach the limit, especially here at the second and last corner where it's very stressed. Usually, the Michelins are very good, but not in this case," he concluded, expressing his view on the tires.